HOME STAY IN COSTA RICA

The student will be in direct contact with Costa Rican culture by living with host families. We try to make a good selection of our Costa Rican families. Also, we keep in communication with the families in order to make sure our students feel comfortable with them. Almost all of the families live within  walking distance to the school. You can See some photos of houses and families at:
www.spanish-school-costarica.com/album_det.php?id=15

The cost of home stay covers payments to the family as well as a placement fee, administrative expenses and fees or discounts to participating agencies and Universities.

Your family will provide you with:

• Breakfast and dinner
• Laundry service, you must coordinate with them the days
• Private room
• A front door key

The homestay starts on the weekend prior to starting date for classes and costs $130 a week.  An additional day of homestay after the end of one's regular program costs $20.

Some advices:

• As courtesy please, let your family know in advance, if you are going to be late for dinner or if you wish to have a visitor. No night or overnight visitors, please!
• If you smoke, please ask your family whether smoking is allowed inside the house.
• Friendly, enthusiastic students tend to create a positive atmosphere.
  In these cases, your family may include you in their social activities.
• If you have any problem communicating your needs to the family, please talk to the coordinator at the School.
• If you wish to stay with your family for a longer period of time after the course finishes, please make the necessary arrangements at the School. Students cannot make direct arrangements or payments to the families.
• Please let us know at the school, if you have problems with your Costa Rican family.
• Your assessment of the homestay  will help us to make enjoyable  selections.
• In San Isidro de El General, where our school is located, the people are very friendly and nice, and San Isidro is generally considered a much safer place than San José . However, it is still a good idea to be mindful of your valuable possessions and to not walk alone through certain areas at night.
• When you visit San José take particular care of your belongings.  Do not wear jewelry.  Keep cameras and other valuables in front of you and keep your money in small wallets you can guard easily and never in a back pocket.  Do not carry a purse with a shoulder strap.  Place nothing of value in a backpack.
• You should not walk alone in the Coca-Cola area, in San José after dark.  It preferable not to walk on Calle 12 or its neighboring areas. This is especially important for women.
• Guard your passport carefully!  Make a photocopy of your passport to carry with you and leave your passport in a safe place.  A photocopy of your passport is accepted for Visa and Master Card in most shops, but not in banks.
• The streets (calles) in San José go north to south, the avenues (avenidas) east to west.
• You will need an umbrella in the rainy season (May-November).
• Students in the voluntary programs are advised to not use machines that may put them in danger.  Avoid touching plants with which you are not familiarCourtesy is of prime importance in Costa Rica.

 Some of the services we can assist you with include but, are not limited to:

• Hotels reservations
• Residency
• Attorneys
• Real Estate
• Contractors - Including building a home to remodeling or finishing work.
• Dancing classes
• cooking classes
• private transportation from the airport to San Isidro de El General
• Tour operator
• Rental car